Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients With ADHD
\nNot only do children and adults have different presentations for ADHD, but males and females may also have vastly different clinical presentations. Different people may also respond to medication therapies differently. For example, some ADHD medications may cause children to experience stomach pain, while others can be highly addictive for adults. In your role, as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you must perform careful assessments and weigh the risks and benefits of medication therapies for patients across the life span. For this Assignment, you consider how you might assess and treat patients presenting with ADHD.
\nTo prepare for this Assignment:
\nReview this week\u2019s Learning Resources, including the Medication Resources indicated for this week.
\nReflect on the psychopharmacologic treatments you might recommend for the assessment and treatment of patients with ADHD.
\nThe Assignment: 5 pages
\nExamine\u00a0Case Study: A Young Caucasian Girl with ADHD.\u00a0You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication to prescribe to this patient. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the patient\u2019s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
\nAt each decision point, you should evaluate all options before selecting your decision and moving throughout the exercise. Before you make your decision, make sure that you have researched each option and that you evaluate the decision that you will select. Be sure to research each option using the primary literature.
\nIntroduction to the case (1 page)
\nBriefly explain and summarize the case for this Assignment. Be sure to include the specific patient factors that may impact your decision making when prescribing medication for this patient.
\nDecision #1 (1 page)
\nWhich decision did you select?
\nWhy did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhy did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhat were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
\nExplain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
\nDecision #2 (1 page)
\nWhy did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhy did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhat were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
\nExplain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
\nDecision #3 (1 page)
\nWhy did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhy did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nWhat were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
\nExplain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
\nConclusion (1 page)
\nSummarize your recommendations on the treatment options you selected for this patient. Be sure to justify your recommendations and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
\nNote:\u00a0Support your rationale with a minimum of five academic resources. While you may use the course text to support your rationale, it will not count toward the resource requirement. You should be utilizing the primary and secondary literature.
\nWeek 9: Therapy for Patients With ADHD\/ODD
\nDiego, a 9-year-old third grader, had always been an energetic child with a short attention span. For years, his mother attributed his behaviors to him being \u201call boy\u201d and assumed it would improve as he grew older. Instead, daily tasks like chores and homework became increasingly overwhelming for Diego, resulting in disruptive behaviors at home and school. After being evaluated by his healthcare provider, Diego was diagnosed with and treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
\nADHD is a prevalent disorder for patients across the lifespan, as more than 6 million children (CDC, n.d.) have been diagnosed with the disorder. Further, consider that about 60% of children with ADHD in the United States become adults with ADHD (ADAA, n.d.). Like Diego, individuals of all ages find that symptoms of ADHD can make life challenging. However, when properly diagnosed and treated, patients often respond well to therapies and have positive health outcomes.
\nThis week, as you study ADHD therapies, you examine the assessment and treatment of patients with ADHD. You also explore ethical and legal implications of these therapies.
\nReferences:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Data and statistics about ADHD. https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncbddd\/adhd\/data.html
\nAnxiety and Depression Association of America. (n.d.). Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). https:\/\/adaa.org\/understanding-anxiety\/related-illnesses\/other-related-conditions\/adult-adhd
\nLearning Objectives
\nStudents will:
\nAssess patient factors and history to develop personalized therapy plans for patients with ADHD
\nAnalyze factors that influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in patients requiring therapy for ADHD
\nSynthesize knowledge of providing care to patients presenting for ADHD
\nAnalyze ethical and legal implications related to prescribing therapy for patients with ADHD
\nIdentify concepts related to psychopharmacologic treatments and therapy for patients across the lifespan
\nLearning Resources
\nRequired Readings (click to expand\/reduce)
\nPrince, J. B., Wilens, T. E., Spencer, T. J., & Biederman, J. (2016). Stimulants and other medications for ADHD. In T. A. Stern, M. Favo, T. E. Wilens, & J. F. Rosenbaum. (Eds.), Massachusetts General Hospital psychopharmacology and neurotherapeutics\u00a0(pp. 99\u2013112). Elsevier.
\nAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425596
\nHodgkins, P., Shaw, M., McCarthy, S., & Sallee, F. R. (2012). The pharmacology and clinical outcomes of amphetamines to treat ADHD: Does composition matter? CNS Drugs, 26(3), 245\u2013268. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2165\/11599630-000000000-00000
\nMartin, L. (2020). A 5-question quiz on ADHD. Psychiatric Times. https:\/\/www.psychiatrictimes.com\/view\/5-question-quiz-adhd
\nMedication Resources (click to expand\/reduce)
\nIBM Corporation. (2020). IBM Micromedex. https:\/\/www.micromedexsolutions.com\/micromedex2\/librarian\/deeplinkaccess?source=deepLink&institution=SZMC%5ESZMC%5ET43537
\nNote: To access the following medications, use the IBM Micromedex resource. Type the name of each medication in the keyword search bar. Be sure to read all sections on the left navigation bar related to each medication\u2019s result page, as this information will be helpful for your review in preparation for your Assignments.
\narmodafinil
\namphetamine (d)
\namphetamine (d,l)
\natomoxetine
\nbupropion
\nchlorpromazine
\nclonidine
\nguanfacine
\nhaloperidol
\nlisdexamfetamine
\nmethylphenidate (d)
\nmethylphenidate (d,l)
\nmodafinil
\nreboxetine
\nRequired Media (click to expand\/reduce)
\nCase Study: A Young Caucasian Girl with ADHD\u00a0 Note:\u00a0This case study will serve as the foundation for this week\u2019s Assignment.
\nBACKGROUND
\nKatie is an 8 year old Caucasian female who is brought to your office today by her mother & father. They report that they were referred to you by their primary care provider after seeking her advice because Katie\u2019s teacher suggested that she may have ADHD. Katie\u2019s parents reported that their PCP felt that she should be evaluated by psychiatry to determine whether or not she has this condition.
\nThe parents give you a copy of a form titled \u201cConner\u2019s Teacher Rating Scale-Revised\u201d. This scale was filled out by Katie\u2019s teacher and sent home to the parents so that they could share it with their family primary care provider. According to the scoring provided by her teacher, Katie is inattentive, easily distracted, forgets things she already learned, is poor in spelling, reading, and arithmetic. Her attention span is short, and she is noted to only pay attention to things she is interested in. The teacher opined that she lacks interest in school work and is easily distracted. Katie is also noted to start things but never finish them, and seldom follows through on instructions and fails to finish her school work.
\nKatie\u2019s parents actively deny that Katie has ADHD. \u201cShe would be running around like a wild person if she had ADHD\u201d reports her mother. \u201cShe is never defiant or has temper outburst\u201d adds her father.
\nSUBJECTIVE
\nKatie reports that she doesn\u2019t know what the \u201cbig deal\u201d is. She states that school is \u201cOK\u201d- her favorite subjects are \u201cart\u201d and \u201crecess.\u201d She states that she finds her other subjects boring, and sometimes hard because she feels \u201clost\u201d. She admits that her mind does wander during class to things that she thinks of as more fun. \u201cSometimes\u201d Katie reports \u201cI will just be thinking about nothing and the teacher will call my name and I don\u2019t know what they were talking about.\u201d
\nKatie reports that her home life is just fine. She reports that she loves her parents and that they are very good and kind to her. Denies any abuse, denies bullying at school. Offers no other concerns at this time.
\nMENTAL STATUS EXAM
\nThe client is an 8 year old Caucasian female who appears appropriately developed for her age. Her speech is clear, coherent, and logical. She is appropriately oriented to person, place, time, and event. She is dressed appropriately for the weather and time of year. She demonstrates no noteworthy mannerisms, gestures, or tics. Self-reported mood is euthymic. Affect is bright. Katie denies visual or auditory hallucinations, no delusional or paranoid thought processes readily appreciated. Attention and concentration are grossly intact based on Katie\u2019s attending to the clinical interview and her ability to count backwards from 100 by serial 2\u2019s and 5\u2019s. Insight and judgment appear age appropriate. Katie denies any suicidal or homicidal ideation.
\nDiagnosis: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly inattentive presentation
\nRESOURCES
\n\u00a7 Conners, C. K., Sitarenios, G., Parker, J. D. A., & Epstein, J. N. (1998). Revision and restandardization of the Conners\u2019 Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-R): Factors, structure, reliability, and criterion validity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 279-291.
\nDecision Point One
\nSelect what you should do:
\nDecision Point One
\nBegin Wellbutrin (bupropion) XL 150 mg orally daily
\nRESULTS OF DECISION POINT ONE
\nClient returns to clinic in four weeks
\nKatie\u2019s parents inform you that they stopped giving Katie the medication because about 2 weeks into the prescription, Katie told her parents that she was thinking about hurting herself. This scared the parents, but they didn\u2019t want to \u201cbother you\u201d by calling the office, so they felt that it would be best to just stop the medication as they would be seeing you in two weeks
\nDecision Point Two
\nEducate the parents that Bupropion sometimes causes suicidal ideation in children and that this is normal, and re-start the drug at the previous dose
\nRESULTS OF DECISION POINT TWO
\nClient returns to clinic in four weeks
\nKatie\u2019s parents again report that after about a week of treatment with the Bupropion, Katie began telling her parents that she wanted to hurt herself and began having dreams about being dead. This scared her parents and they stopped giving her the medication
\nAt this point, they are quite upset with the results of their daughter\u2019s treatment and are convinced that medication is not the answer
\nDecision Point Three
\nDiscuss the use of a medication such as Adderall and its evidence for treating ADHD
\nGuidance to StudentBupropion is used off-label for ADHD and is used more commonly in adults. It\u2019s mechanism of action results in increasing the neurotransmitters norepinephrine\/noradrenaline and dopamine. Since dopamine is inactivated by norepinephrine reuptake in frontal cortex, (which largely lacks dopamine transporters) bupropion can increase dopamine neurotransmission in this part of the brain, which may explain its effectiveness in ADHD. However, Bupropion as well as other antidepressants have been linked to suicidal ideation in children and adolescents- despite the fact that it was being used initially to treat ADHD, it is still an antidepressant.At this point, the parents are probably quite frustrated as no parent wants to hear their child talking about hurting themselves or having dreams about being dead. If the parents are adamant about no more medications, referral to a pediatric psychologist or similar therapist skilled in the use of behavioral therapies to treat ADHD in children. However, it should be noted that behavioral therapies work best when combined with medication, however, if the parents are insistent, then behavioral therapy may be the only alternative left in the treatment of Katie.In terms of the pathophysiology of ADHD, whereas it may be true that increasing age may demonstrate some improvement in symptoms (some people will actually experience complete resolution of symptoms by adulthood), it is not helping Katie in the here and now. Katie still needs help with her symptoms which are causing academic issues.You should attempt to repair the rupture in the therapeutic alliance (the parents now believe that medications are not the answer) by explaining rationale for the use of Bupropion (many people like to start with Bupropion because it has a low-risk for addiction). The family should be encouraged to allow you to initiate Adderall as it has a very good track record in terms of its efficacy in treating ADHD.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients With ADHD Not only do children and adults have different presentations for ADHD, but males and females may also have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/academicwritersbay.com\/answers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}